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Los Angeles Syncs Stop Lights to Alleviate Traffichttp://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2013/05/los-angeles-syncs-stop-lights-to-alleviate-traffic.html
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2013/05/los-angeles-syncs-stop-lights-to-alleviate-traffic.html#respondTue, 28 May 2013 19:09:52 +0000http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/?p=198621Los Angeles Syncs Stop Lights to Alleviate TrafficLos Angeles, California has become the poster child for terrible traffic, but the city is hoping its latest change will help speed things up. In a project that has taken nearly three decades to complete, the city of Los Angeles has synced all its traffic lights, helping to reduce some commute times by about 12... more]]>

Los Angeles, California has become the poster child for terrible traffic, but the city is hoping its latest change will help speed things up.

In a project that has taken nearly three decades to complete, the city of Los Angeles has synced all its traffic lights, helping to reduce some commute times by about 12 percent. The stop light sync covers 469-square miles and makes Los Angeles the first major city to achieve the milestone.

The idea is that vehicles traveling at the posted speed limit down some of the city’s busiest streets will be able to do so without having to stop for several miles. The coordination effort involved a total of 4,398 street lights and creating an algorithm that would make it all work.

The project dates back to the 1984 Olympics when the city made its first effort to sync the lights around the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum where key Olympics events were held that year. The project ran around $350 million and was stretched out nearly 30 years.

Unfortunately, even in rush hour, the change isn’t expected to do much since drivers won’t even be able to reach the speed limit when traffic is that congested. But city residents are reporting seeing an improvement, which is welcoming.

]]>http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2013/05/los-angeles-syncs-stop-lights-to-alleviate-traffic.html/feed0more]]>Tesla CEO Elon Musk Offers Money to Expedite LA 405 Freeway Wideninghttp://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2013/04/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-offers-money-to-expedite-la-405-freeway-widening.html
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2013/04/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-offers-money-to-expedite-la-405-freeway-widening.html#respondFri, 26 Apr 2013 02:26:08 +0000http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/?p=193779Tesla CEO Elon Musk Offers Money to Expedite LA 405 Freeway WideningNo one likes sitting in traffic. Especially not if you’re a millionaire entrepreneur like Elon Musk. The Tesla CEO has already contributed $50,000 in trying to make Los Angeles’ 405 freeway better, and is willing to donate even more to quicken the process. Musk went on the record saying he’ll be more than happy to... more]]>

No one likes sitting in traffic. Especially not if you’re a millionaire entrepreneur like Elon Musk.

The Tesla CEO has already contributed $50,000 in trying to make Los Angeles’ 405 freeway better, and is willing to donate even more to quicken the process. Musk went on the record saying he’ll be more than happy to contribute more to the city to add workers to the 405 widening project. “If it can actually make a difference, I would gladly contribute funds and ideas. I’ve super had it,” he said.

Those that have experienced the horrendous traffic in the Los Angeles area can sympathize with Musk, who went so far as to say that he’s found it easier to get rockets into orbit than getting to his home in Bel-Air from his Space Exploration Technologies building in Hawthorne.

The 405 widening project is now being delayed at least a year longer and is costing $100 million more than the originally budgeted $1 billion. The bulk of the project is now estimated to finish in June 2014, with the middle segment between Montana Avenue and Sunset Boulevard not finishing until fall 2014.

]]>http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2013/04/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-offers-money-to-expedite-la-405-freeway-widening.html/feed0more]]>Americans Waste 1.9 Billion Gallons of Gas Idling in Traffic, Study Showshttp://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/03/americans-waste-1-9-billion-gallons-of-gas-idling-study-shows.html
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2012/03/americans-waste-1-9-billion-gallons-of-gas-idling-study-shows.html#commentsTue, 27 Mar 2012 19:01:35 +0000http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/?p=123511Americans Waste 1.9 Billion Gallons of Gas Idling in Traffic, Study ShowsTraffic is a waste. It wastes your time, your car’s life, and most importantly it wastes fuel. Thanks to a push from the Obama administration to invest in roads and infrastructure, the U.S. Treasury Department found out that American drivers are wasting about 1.9 billion gallons of fuel annually while idling in traffic jams. These... more]]>

Traffic is a waste. It wastes your time, your car’s life, and most importantly it wastes fuel. Thanks to a push from the Obama administration to invest in roads and infrastructure, the U.S. Treasury Department found out that American drivers are wasting about 1.9 billion gallons of fuel annually while idling in traffic jams.

These traffic jams are courtesy of old infrastructure which hasn’t been maintained to meet demand made by growing traffic volume. The Treasury Department estimates that it would cost $85 billion annually for 20 consecutive years “to bring existing highways and bridges into a state of good repair.” The study also found that 90 percent of drivers in the U.S. spend more than 14 percent of their income on transportation.

Poorly maintained roads costs consumers money by themselves. The Treasury Department estimates that the average driver in Los Angeles spends $746 dollars on vehicle repairs per year thanks to bad road conditions.

The United States spends about two percent of its GDP on infrastructure, which is small compared to most countries.

This data might help the Obama administration in its quest to convince otherwise cantankerous voters to allow for increased infrastructure budgets, though that remains to be seen.